Tama Council, Supervisors bolster IJH support

February 21, 2014

Both the Tama City Council and Tama County Board of Supervisors joined in the effort to continue to ramp up support for reopening the Iowa Juvenile Home / State Training School for Girls in Toledo this week.

Tama Council members passed and Mayor Dan Zimmerman signed a proclamation declaring they "wholeheartedly support the movement to reopen the Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo. We have seen that the Home has had remarkable success in rehabilitating troubled youth and we recognize that the home has been an integral part of both communities."

The resolution called upon Governor Branstad and the Iowa Legislature "to act with immediacy and open the Home that so ably served Iowa's neediest children."

Article Photos

Area backers of SAVE?IJH?gather with Tama city officials after a proclamation was passed Monday night “whole-heartedly supporting the movement to reopen the Iowa Juvenile home in Toledo.” Council members seated with Mayor Dan Zimmerman are Steve Baier, Doug Ray and Mike Carnahan. City attorney Dan Rathjen is at right. Those present on behalf of the effort include (l-r) Marlene Werner (seated) and standing (l-r) Jeff Shaw and Marry Fasse-Shaw, Sandy McKee, Yvonne and Dr. Dennis Mallory, Anne Michael, Joan Hayward Helm and Frederick Helm, Nancy Purk, Trudi Koch and Lana Kellogg. News-Herald/John Speer

RIGHT- Tama County Supervisors (seated, l-r) Larry Vest, Kendall Jordan and Dan Anderson met with a group of SAVE?IJH?supporters Tuesday morning, Feb. 18 to show the board’s continued support for the reopening of the Toledo facility. Supervisors passed a resolution on Jan. 27 calling upon Governor Branstad, the Task Force and Iowa Legislature to re-establish the Iowa Juvenile Home / State Training School for Girls in Toledo as soon as possible. Joining supervisors on Tuesday were (l-r) Jim Roan, Susan Jones, Yvonne Mallory, Paula Rohach, Mary Fasse-Shaw, Rosemary DeJoode and Becky Heeren.

News-Herald/John Speer

The 94-year old Toledo facility was ordered closed in mid-January by the Governor and Department of Human Services amidst allegations of denial of required education and confinement of at least one girl for almost a year in a quiet room.

The governor has maintained the action is in the best interest of the children served.

As a result of the closure, the 27-acre campus has sat vacant since Jan. 15 when state troopers directed staff to leave.

Meanwhile, a Polk County District Court judge has ordered IJH reopened in response to a lawsuit filed by four Democrat state senators and Danny Homan, the head of the iowa Public Employees union - American Federation of state, County and Municipal Employees- AfSCME.

The Governor has appealed the District Court decision to the Iowa Supreme Court.

Legislation was also introduced in both the Iowa Senate and House calling for reopening the Toledo facility.

Word at News-Herald deadline from IJH supporters was the Senate would be considering the matter next week.